JP2001150863A - Ink container - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink container, a through which ink leak is checked as small as possible. SOLUTION: In the ink container, which is connected to an ink discharging mechanism and in which a fluid plug contacting with the interface of an ink housed within the container and shifting together with the shifting of the interface of the ink due to the consumption of the ink through the discharging of the ink is equipped, a compound having an oxygen absorptive power such as an ascorbic acid, a kojic acid, an ersorbine acid or the like is added to the fluid plug arranged in the ink container.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink container which is a so-called ink tank, such as a writing implement such as a ballpoint pen, a fountain pen, and a marking pen, and an ink cartridge used for a recording device such as an ink jet printer. It is connected to an ink ejection mechanism for recording (writing, drawing, coating, printing, etc.) of a head and the like, and is arranged in contact with the interface of the ink contained therein, and the ink interface related to the consumption of the ink by the ejection. The present invention relates to an ink container provided with a fluid stopper that moves with the movement of the ink.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, ink cartridges for writing instruments and recording apparatuses of a type in which ink is directly filled into an ink storage section have been used. In particular, in a writing instrument, a writing instrument having this type of structure is called a so-called raw ink type writing instrument, and has a larger amount of ink than an ink impregnating body such as a fiber convergence body or a porous foam which is impregnated with ink. As well as having the advantage of being able to use inks of various viscosities depending on the ink ejection mechanism, and having the advantage that the ink ejection amount does not change significantly from the beginning to the end of use. Are known.

[0003] In general, the consumption of ink in an ink container, whether it is a writing instrument or an applicator or a recording device such as an ink jet printer, reduces the volume of the contents. The pressure drops,
Since it hinders the supply of ink to the ink ejection mechanism, air holes are formed to take in the volume of air corresponding to the volume of consumed ink, and the volume of the volume container for consumed ink is substantially reduced. And so on. As the latter, which substantially reduces the volume of the consumed ink volume container, the ink container itself is made into a deformable bag-like shape such as a rubber balloon or a plastic bag, and as the ink is consumed, Use a material that reduces the internal volume of the container as if the bag is folded, or a rigid body such as a synthetic resin tubular molded product as the material that constitutes the ink container. 2. Description of the Related Art There is known an arrangement in which a moving stopper that moves following the movement of an ink interface is arranged. In particular, as a transfer stopper, a gel-like fluid composition containing an α-olefin, polybutene, or the like as a main component is known, and is kept attached to the inner wall of the ink container as it moves, while maintaining a layer that follows the ink interface. Things are known. A fluid stopper that is such a gel-like fluid composition includes:
It can prevent drying and leakage of the ink and adhesion of the ink to the inner wall of the ink storage section.

[0004]

However, it has been confirmed that, in the above-described fluid stopper, bubbles are generated inside the layer following the ink interface. For example, when the fluid stopper is filled in the ink container, air is entrapped, when air bubbles existing in the ink are removed by centrifugal force or the like, the fluid stopper does not pass through the fluid stopper and remains, and further, the ink or the fluid stopper This is because air or the like dissolved in the fluid cannot be completely dissolved and comes out into the fluid stopper. As described above, when bubbles are generated in the fluid stopper, the bubbles may collect over time or become larger due to a temperature change, and may push out the fluid stopper from the ink container or remove a thin layer portion of the fluid stopper. This may result in the formation of ink, which may cause ink leakage.

[0005]

That is, the present invention relates to the consumption of the ink by the above-described ink discharge mechanism which is connected to an ink discharge mechanism for recording and is arranged in contact with the interface of the ink housed therein. In an ink container comprising a fluid stopper that moves with the movement of the ink interface, the fluid stopper includes:
The gist of the present invention is an ink container, which is a compound to which a compound that binds to oxygen is added.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail. As the individual composition of the fluid stopper, a commonly used composition can be used, provided that the compound that binds to oxygen added in the present invention does not inhibit the binding function with oxygen. It can be used without any particular limitation. To give an example, the main substrate is hardly volatile or non-volatile organic liquid, for example, α-olefin oligomer, ethylene-α-olefin copolymer, polybutene, liquid paraffin, petrolatum, spindle oil, castor oil, silicone oil, various types of modification. Examples thereof include those obtained by using a silicone oil and thickening or gelling these alone or in a mixture with a high-viscosity silicone oil, silica, hydrogenated castor oil, metal soap, dibenzylidene sorbitol, esterified dextrin, organic bentonite, or the like.

As an example of a compound that binds to oxygen,
Ascorbic acid, kojic acid, erythorbic acid or their derivatives and any salts thereof, and phenylenediamine,
Hydroquinone, aminophenol, 2,2 ', 4,
Compounds having two or more amino groups and / or hydroxyl groups directly bonded to the same or conjugated aromatic ring such as 4'-diaminodiphenylamine and gallic acid or derivatives thereof, and enol ketones such as acetoacetanilide Compounds having a group, sodium sulfite, inorganic compounds such as sodium bisulfite and the like, but are not limited to those listed here, chemically and physically bonded to oxygen,
Any compound that can prevent the growth of bubbles can be used.

The amount of the compound that binds to oxygen depends on how much it binds to oxygen.
0.5 to 15% by weight in 00 parts by weight is preferred.
If the amount is less than 0.5% by weight, the amount of oxygen absorbed is small, and when the amount of bubbles in the fluid stopper is large, there is a possibility that the bubbles cannot be completely erased and the bubbles remain. If added in excess of 15% by weight, the physical properties of the fluid stopper will change, and the performance as an ink backflow preventer, such as the ability to prevent ink from adhering to the wall of the ink container and the ability to suppress ink leakage, may be reduced. is there.

In manufacturing the fluid stopper in the ink container of the present invention, various conventionally known methods can be employed. For example, a method of adding and dissolving or dispersing a compound having an oxygen absorbing ability when heating and stirring and mixing the above components with a stirrer, or cooling or cooling a composition of a fluid stopper to an appropriate temperature and then absorbing the oxygen May be added and stirred or dissolved or dispersed. Here, when dispersing the compound having an oxygen absorbing ability into the composition of the fluid stopper, a method of dispersing using a variety of dispersers such as rolls is also possible.

[0010]

The bubbles that have been present in the fluid plug layer are usually in some state of communication with the atmosphere, and the partial pressure of each gas contained in the bubbles is in equilibrium with the atmosphere. On the other hand, if there is a compound that binds to oxygen in the composition of the fluid stopper, it binds to the oxygen in the fluid stopper and consumes oxygen, and the partial pressure of dissolved oxygen decreases. The oxygen in the wax bubbles dissolves in the composition of the fluid plug, and the partial pressure of other gases (mainly nitrogen) in the bubbles becomes higher than the atmosphere, so the fluid in the fluid stopper layer tries to maintain equilibrium with the atmosphere. Through to the atmosphere. This continuous repetition eliminates oxygen and other gases (primarily nitrogen) that were in the bubbles, resulting in the disappearance of bubbles in the fluid plug layer. Therefore, it is considered that the growth of bubbles over time is suppressed.

[0011]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. FIG. 1 shows a refill in which a ballpoint pen tip 2 is connected as a pen tip to a tip of an ink container 1 which is a pipe body which is an extrusion molded product of polypropylene resin via a pen tip holder 3 made of polybutylene terephthalate resin. It is a principal part longitudinal cross-sectional view of a body. The ink container 1 is filled with an aqueous pigment ink 4, and a fluid stopper 5 is arranged in contact with the ink interface. As the ink is consumed by writing, the fluid stopper also descends as the ink interface is processed toward the lower side of the drawing. At this time, the composition constituting the fluid stopper is reduced by the inner wall 1a of the ink container 1. As a result, the volume of the layered portion serving as a substantial stopper gradually decreases slightly.

Hereinafter, examples of the composition of the fluid stopper will be described. Formulation Example 1 Mobil SHF1003 (base material, α-olefin oligomer, manufactured by Mobil Chemical Products, Inc., USA) 27.0 parts by weight Lucant HC-100 (base material, ethylene-α-olefin copolymer, Mitsui Oil Oil Chemicals) 25.5 parts by weight LUCANT HC-40 (base material, ethylene-α-olefin copolymer, manufactured by Mitsui Petrochemical Industry Co., Ltd.) 40.0 parts by weight Aerosil R972 (gelling agent, Nippon Aerosil Co., Ltd.) 3.0 parts by weight FQF501 (fluorine-modified silicone oil, manufactured by Toshiba Silicone Co., Ltd.) 1.5 parts by weight Ascorbic acid 3.0 parts by weight Of the above components, each component excluding ascorbic acid is placed in a container. After stirring for 2 hours while heating the temperature to 165 ° C., the mixture was left to reach room temperature. Acid for 3 times through a three-roll mill was added to obtain a blend composition of the fluid plugs.

Formulation Example 2 Polybutene HV-15 (base material, polybutene, manufactured by Nippon Oil Co., Ltd.) 88.0 parts by weight Leopearl KE (gelling agent, manufactured by Chiba Flour Milling Co., Ltd.) 5.0 parts by weight Aerosil R972 (Gelling agent, surface-treated Aerosil, manufactured by Nippon Aerosil Co., Ltd.) 3.0 parts by weight CDIS-400 (adhesion inhibitor, polyethylene glycol diisostearate, manufactured by Nikko Chemicals Co., Ltd.) 1.0 part by weight DGO- 80 (adhesion inhibitor, glyceryl dioleate, manufactured by Nikko Chemicals Co., Ltd.) 1.0 part by weight Newpol LB-65 (polypropylene glycol monoether, manufactured by Sanyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) 1.0 part by weight 2, 4-Diaminophenol 1.0 parts by weight Of the above components, the components except for 2,4-diaminophenol are put in a container, and the temperature is increased to 150 ° C. Was allowed to stir becomes 3 hours 60 ° C. After while, this 2,
4-Diaminophenol was added and stirred for 2 hours to obtain a fluid stopper compounding composition.

Formulation Example 3 Mobil SHF1001 30.0 parts by weight Lucant HC-40 59.5 parts by weight Aerosil R972 5.0 parts by weight FQF501 0.5 parts by weight Sodium sulfite 10.0 parts by weight Of the above components, sodium sulfite The components except for were placed in a container, stirred for 1 hour while heating the temperature to 170 ° C., and then cooled to room temperature. The total amount of sodium sulfite was added thereto, and the mixture was passed three times with a three-roll mill to obtain a fluid stopper compounding composition.

Formulation Example 4 Polybutene HV-15 (base material, polybutene, manufactured by Nippon Oil Co., Ltd.) 86.0 parts by weight Leopard KE (gelling agent, manufactured by Chiba Flour Milling Co., Ltd.) 5.0 parts by weight Aerosil R972 (Gelling agent, surface-treated Aerosil, manufactured by Nippon Aerosil Co., Ltd.) 3.0 parts by weight CDIS-400 (adhesion inhibitor, polyethylene glycol diisostearate, manufactured by Nikko Chemicals Co., Ltd.) 1.0 part by weight DGO- 80 (adhesion inhibitor, glyceryl dioleate, Nikko Chemicals Co., Ltd.) 1.0 part by weight Newpol LB-65 (polypropylene glycol monoether, Sanyo Chemical Industries, Ltd.) 1.0 part by weight dipalmitine 3.0 parts by weight of ascorbyl acid Among the above components, the components excluding ascorbyl palmitate are put in a container and heated to 150 ° C. After stirring for 3 hours while stirring, the mixture was allowed to stand until the temperature reached 60 ° C., to which was added ascorbyl palmitate, followed by stirring for 2 hours to obtain a fluid stopper compounding composition.

Comparative Formulation Example 1 A fluid stopper formulation was obtained in the same manner as in Formulation Example 1, except that ascorbic acid in Formulation Example 1 was removed and Mobil SHF1003 was increased accordingly.

Comparative Formulation Example 2 Except for ascorbic acid in Formulation Composition 1, Mobil S
A composition of a fluid stopper was obtained in the same manner as in Composition Example 1 except that HF1003 was increased.

Comparative Formulation Example 3 A fluid plug formulation was obtained in the same manner as in Formulation Example 2, except that 2,4-diaminophenol was removed from Formulation Example 2, and polybutene HV-15 was increased accordingly. Was.

[0019]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION The fluid stoppers having composition compositions 1 to 4 and comparative composition examples 1 to 3 having a capacity of 10
50 ml after filling 5 ml into a milliliter test tube
Centrifugation was performed at 00 rpm for 20 minutes. Using a microsyringe, 10 μl of air was injected into the position at a depth of 5 mm to form bubbles, left at 50 ° C., the diameter of the bubbles was measured, and the volume was calculated.

A commercially available refill for aqueous gel ink ballpoint pen (HYBRID K105, manufactured by Pentel Co., Ltd.)
These were filled with the black plug of Hybrid K105, and then filled with these fluid stopper compositions, and then subjected to centrifugal treatment with the pen tip facing outward at 2,000 rpm × 5 minutes.
This was left at 50 ° C. for 30 days with the pen tip facing upwards to check for ink leakage.

[0021]

[Table 1]

As described above in detail, the ink container according to the present invention suppresses the leakage and deformation of the fluid plug from the ink container as much as possible by eliminating bubbles inside the fluid stopper with time. However, it is possible to prevent the ink from leaking.

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] December 21, 1999 (1999.12.
21)

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Brief description of drawings

[Correction method] Added

[Correction contents]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an example of a main part.

[Description of Signs] 1 Ink container 1a Inner wall 2 Ballpoint pen tip 3 Nib holder 4 Ink 5 Fluid stopper

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A fluid that is connected to an ink ejection mechanism for recording, is disposed in contact with the interface of ink contained therein, and moves with the movement of the ink interface related to the consumption of the ink by the ejection. An ink container comprising a stopper, wherein the fluid stopper is a compound to which a compound that binds to oxygen is added. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the compound which binds to oxygen is ascorbic acid, kojic acid, erythorbic acid or a derivative thereof, a salt thereof, an amino group directly binding to the same or conjugated aromatic ring, and / or The ink according to claim 1, wherein the ink is at least one compound selected from a compound having two or more hydroxyl groups or a derivative thereof, a compound having an enol ketone group, sodium sulfite, and sodium hydrogen sulfite. container.